TWO people have drowned now that Storm Bruno has hit Spain, bringing winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (62mph) and 25 centimetres (10 inches) of snow.
Waves of up to eight metres (26 feet) high have been seen off most of the mainland and Balearic coasts, and 15 of Spain's 17 regions – all bar the Canary Islands and the land-locked western Extremadura – are on 'yellow' or 'orange' weather alerts.
'Orange' warnings have been placed on Cantabria, Asturias, the Basque Country, Navarra, Aragón, Catalunya, Valencia, and Murcia, as well as the provinces of León and Palencia (Castilla y León), all of Galicia bar the province of Ourense, and the provinces of Almería, Huelva and Jaén (Andalucía).
Everywhere else except Extremadura and the Canaries is on 'yellow alert'.
A 42-year-old Spaniard windsurfing off the coast of Alcúdia, Mallorca, in the Corral d'en Pedrassa area drowned at around 11.30 this morning (Wednesday) – just 40 minutes after a 56-year-old man was blown off his balcony in Segur de Calafell (Tarragona province), landing on the interior patio and dying immediately from his injuries.
One plane has been cancelled today and four others forced to turn back to their airport of origin, whilst a further two were diverted to other terminals.
A Vueling flight leaving Barcelona's El Prat airport had to turn around and go back this morning, as did a Lufthansa aircraft heading for Spain from Munich, an Iberia flight and an Air Europa flight which had set off from Madrid, and an Air Nostrum regional craft which had taken off from Valencia – all of which were heading for Bilbao's La Paloma airport.
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